In basic training you learn that your job is very simple and you will hear that from your superiors often as they tell you all you have to do is follow orders.

What is not said is that the diversity of the people in your platoon understand that concept much less have the that capability of understanding that it all comes down to teamwork.

That in it’s entirety is the purpose of what you have got yourself into. To overcome an environment full of chaos by simply finding a common ground among strangers that have the same general goal as you.

In Army 101: Preparing for Basic Training (Part 1) you might have found yourself a bit confused about what is exactly going to happen to you and you need to keep that feeling.

Once you hit basic training you are going to find yourself involved in something greater then you’ve ever imagined and at the time you realize how much greatness isn’t what it seems!

Some find themselves eating cough drops like candy because it’s the only thing to keep them occupied during the hours of standing around.

It all comes down to find what little tidbits of joy you can create out of the situation that your in which many examples this writer has experienced will be shared.

If you are serious about joining it is best to visit a site such as About.com: US Military to explore all the nasty details.

After you do that and find that you are still willing to go through with your choice then you are one step ahead of everyone else.

It is also important to do your research at the Department of Defense (DoD) web site to explore a very broad and detailed approach of what is going on with the military.

From this writer’s personal experience you will come across something that is awe inspiring which changes the way you think, live and overall appreciate what you had.

As you will find out there are three phases in basic training which are; red phase, white phase and blue phase.

Once again from personal experience you can read all the literature you want on what is happening at these phases but nothing will give you a true idea of what they are until you get there.

The general breakdown of these phases is that red is total control breaking down the civilian in you and building you up as a soldier.

White phase is where you are more a soldier and you get to do the “fun” stuff like throw grenades and shoot rocket launchers that make things go boom!

Blue phase is where you are a soldier and that you can act on your own with little to no supervision as well as having more freedoms during training.

Of course, this is in a perfect world that you will not be living in but you will overcome.